


You’re just different

by sunflowerwall



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:54:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29518401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunflowerwall/pseuds/sunflowerwall
Summary: When your childhood best friend turns 22, the last thing you expect is to fall in love with a stranger at their birthday party. Especially when your ex partner gives you news you never would have expected.OrHarry and Louis meet at Liam’s birthday celebration and things are different for them both, Louis sleeps around a lot, Harry has his own personal problems and Louis has an ex who he might be tied to a bit more than he hoped.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik/Liam Payne
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

“LOUIS! I swear to god if you make me late to my own birthday get-together I won’t hesitate on cutting your-“ that’s all Liam gets to say before he is interrupted abruptly by a door slamming in his face. 

“Oh behave yourself Liam, you’re just stressed out because you’re going to see your little lover boy tonight.” Louis called from the other side of the slammed door, tripping over a box that he hadn’t yet emptied from their recent house move and then continuing to get dressed at his own pace.

Liam groaned loudly and mumbled words that only he could understand. 

There are many pros that come with sharing an apartment with your childhood best friend, things are made easy such as grocery shopping on Sunday mornings, selecting movies to watch on Wednesday nights and if you ask if they’ve been naked around each other before, well that’s a story in itself. Louis loves Liam as Liam loves Louis, however living with your childhood best friend also can be challenging at times. They know every button to push and how to tip each other over the edge with ease. Louis has always been the type to wind someone up, taking it as far as he can before the person explodes and Liam is no exception. In fact, Liam may have suffered from Louis’ childlike persona more than anyone over the years. But they wouldn’t trade it for the world. 

There is a chap on Louis’ bedroom door no longer than five minutes later. 

“Louis please tell me you’re ready to leave now, we should’ve arrived fifteen minutes ago.” Louis then opened his door, eyeing up his best friend who was dressed a lot more formal than he has on any other birthday Louis has spent with him.

“Fucking hell Liam… if I didn’t know you sang the alphabet in your sleep and ate your cereal with a fork then I’d definitely propose to you right now.” Liam rolled his eyes, knowing fine well he doesn’t do any of the things Louis just mentioned. 

“Can we leave now?” Liam replied with a little more enthusiasm than he had when he first knocked on the door. 

*

They both arrive at the pub after a short ten minute walk, but before entering Liam pauses at the door turning to Louis with a serious expression. “Are you sure I shouldn’t unbutton one more button? Don’t you think it’s still buttoned up too high?” Louis scoffed at Liam instead of responding. “I’m serious Louis, do I actually look okay?”

“Liam I love you lad, but I definitely don’t want to be staring at your nipples all night, and that is exactly what’s going to happen if you unbutton that shirt any further.” 

They both enter the pub together, gaining a few cheers and sarcastic comments from some of Liam’s family and friends about their inability to arrive on time, often to which Liam responded with an ‘it was Louis’ fault’.

Two long tables, both seating around 12 people have been set up to accommodate everyone in the pub celebrating Liam’s birthday. Louis looked around, greeting the people that he was familiar with (which was mostly everyone) with a smile and a nod, and once he seen that Liam was ever so focused on his conversation with his new found interest that’s in the form of caramel skin, dark hair, pretty brown eyes and a shitload of tattoos, he heads to the bar. As soon as he arrived at the bar he made the conscious decision that he was in fact going to celebrate his best friend’s 22nd birthday the only way he knew how- by getting drunk beyond control. 

Louis was returning to the table with three pints of beer, planning to take a seat at the table next to his best friend. But as he approached it became clear to him that this wasn’t going to be the case because- “Who is that big curly idiot sat in my seat… and aren’t Irish people supposed to be ginger?” Louis was well aware he was talking to himself only a few feet away from strangers who, although had their back to him, clearly got on with his best friend pretty well. 

Louis stretched over the shoulder of the curly haired lad sat in HIS chair, next to HIS best friend, and placed his drinks on the table. “No, I don’t have any concept of personal space before you ask. Yes, all three pints of beer are for me and I do plan on going to buy more soon. And no, we haven’t met before.” Louis states flatly before any of the apparent new additions to the friend group have a chance to talk. “Louis, this is Niall” Liam says, pointing to the one with the prominent Irish accent. Niall extends his arm to give Louis a firm hand shake and a quick “Nice to meet ya.” Louis decides then that maybe the blonde leprechaun isn’t actually going to be as annoying as he first considered. 

As he turns back to the table the curly lad has stood up and turned to face him. As Louis registers he no longer has his back to him, he also registers that he might be the most attractive person Louis has ever laid eyes on, and that’s saying something considering his best friend is semi dating Zayn Malik. Louis is so captivated by the way his green eyes shimmer in the dim light of the pub that he isn’t even aware of the hand being held out in front of him until “Hi Louis, I’m Harry, sorry if you were sitting here I’ll go find another seat…sorry”. His voice was warm and soothing yet lacked confidence. 

Handsome and polite. 

Louis was fully aware he had stood staring at this man for a millisecond too long now and had to snap out of this trance, except what came as he joined hands with Harry was “Hi…um L-Louis but of course you already know that.. you can just sit here I don’t mind at all, I’ll just… um I’ll just sit round the other side of the table it’s okay”. As soon as the sentence, if you could even call it a sentence, was out of his mouth he mentally slapped himself. He subconsciously told himself ‘Louis Tomlinson people react to you this way, not the other way around. You sleep with people for fun and have one night stands to distract yourself from the mess that is your life, stop fucking drooling’. 

Louis walked around the long table until he was sat opposite Liam who had Zayn to his right and Harry to his left. Niall soon followed Louis and sat opposite Harry. Louis spent an excessive amount of time fidgeting with his own fingers and pulling a loose thread at the bottom of his sweater. He had gulped down two and a half of his beers before Harry stood up and offered anyone a drink from the bar. Louis quickly denied his request with a sharp “No” that ended up coming out a lot more aggressive than he intended. Niall stood to follow Harry to the bar but gave Louis a questioning look before he left. 

“Okay Tommo, hit me with it, what’s going on?” Liam joked. 

“What are you even talking about?” Louis stuttered out quietly. A lot more serious than Liam was expecting. 

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about” Liam commented on Louis’ quiet tone. “You are usually the life of the party, yet here you are sat in front of Harry Styles and you’re acting like a teenager with a high school crush” 

“Styles” Louis mutters. Ignoring the fact Liam thinks he has a crush. 

“Styles…yes” Liam confirms. 

“Where did you meet him and how come you never told me about him before now?” Surely if Harry was important enough to be celebrating Liam’s birthday with him then they must be pretty good friends. But that doesn’t make any sense, if he was Liam’s good friend then he would be Louis’ good friend too because that’s how it always works. Apparently Harry Styles is different. 

“We work together, when I started the job in the restaurant two months ago he had just stared a week before me so I guess we just kinda bonded over being the newbies, then he invited me to his flat for a games night and I met Niall, we’ve hung out a few times since then bu-“

Louis couldn’t listen anymore without butting in. “Liam Payne, you mean to tell me you’ve been hanging out with him and kept him away from me for TWO WHOLE MONTHS!” Okay Louis didn’t mean to shout the last part but he couldn’t believe he could’ve had two extra months with Harry. 

Now that he’s said it out loud, he can’t even believe he’s angry about this in the first place. He lets out a small chuckle at his actions and rests his head in his hands. “I didn’t even mean it like that I just… you’ve never um” Louis searched inside his head for the perfect excuse and settled on “..you’ve never kept new friends from me before.”

“Louis I can’t believe you think I’m an idiot.” Ok so it turns out when you’ve been friends with someone for 20 years they can see through your bullshit. Great. 

“No Liam I swear I don’t care about not knowing him sooner it’s just that…” Yeah no Louis really didn’t have any more excuses. 

“You very clearly like him in some way, why don’t you just have a chat with him?” Liam questioned. It was a valid point, why didn’t Louis just talk to Harry like a normal fucking human being. Oh yeah, because Harry didn’t make him feel like a normal human being, that much had been established whilst sitting at the table with him for the past hour. 

“You know I’m just out of a relationship, you know how my life has been for the past couple of months, you know I fuck people for fun and never talk to them again. I hurt people Liam and I don’t want to do that to Harry.” Wow, Louis can’t believe he just said that out loud. It’s true though, Louis just got out of a year long relationship with a girl who broke his heart. He’d came over to her house to surprise her and take her on a date but when he arrived he found her in bed with another man. Although it had been almost three months, she still tried to call him. Since then him and Liam have moved into a new flat, he’s changed his number yet she still manages to call. Needless to say he returns none of her calls. 

As soon as Louis’ relationship ended he never allowed himself to fall into the routine of staying home locked in a dark room and crying himself to sleep. No, Louis decided he would spend endless days partying and fucking as many people as he could, sometimes multiple in the one night. He drank too much alcohol, smoked too much cigarettes but he still had his friends. 

Liam dragged Louis out his thoughts when he said “So you’re telling me you don’t want to fuck him then?” 

“What the fuck Liam of course I want to fuck him, have you seen him he’s bloody gorgeous? But he’s different Liam, I’ve only known him for an hour but I know he’s different.” There it is again, Harry Styles is different. Louis has said it out loud now, he’s acknowledged the fact that some way, some how, to Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles is different. 

Just as Louis was about to continue the conversation with Liam, Harry and Niall returned to the table, both with a tray of drinks each. Niall had a tray with around 30 shots on it. Louis’ thoughts went to the shots immediately, he definitely needed more alcohol if he was going to get through the rest of the night. Thirty shots between Liam, Zayn, Niall, Harry and Louis meant six each. Louis liked that. Not the six shots each, although that was appealing too. But Louis really liked the sound of Harry and Louis, he wondered what a world would be like with HarryandLouis. Harry&Louis. Harry Tomlinson. Louis Styles. 

Snap out of it Tomlinson, you fuck for fun and have known the guy for an hour, you aren’t getting married, he’s too good for you. 

*

They’ve been at the pub for around four and a half hours now, for some reason there were six shots left on the tray after the first round, so Louis naturally drank them all. Three pints of beer and twelve shots later, Louis was pleasantly drunk. But still not content. “Imgoing to baarrr!” He shouts over the music. 

Louis makes his way to the bar but is stopped when a rough hand catches his elbow. Louis turns quickly, stumbling as he does so. 

“Hey you are pretty hot, let me buy you a drink.” Straight forward and too the point. Just the way Louis likes them. 

Louis ended up staying at the bar for five minutes, throwing shots down his throat religiously with a man who was apparently named Josh. Louis appreciated the free alcohol but he didn’t appreciate how Josh had Louis pressed against the bar and was evidently hard from grinding behind him. Louis was drunk and this was often the perfect situation for him to lead them home, have rough sex the exact way he liked to, then kick them out. However something was off, Louis felt uncomfortable. 

“Bathroom. Be right back.” Louis whispered, somewhat seductively, into Josh’s ear. Leaving Josh standing at the bar alone with no intention of going back to him. 

As Louis got to the door of the bathroom he was swaying on his feet and knew he wasn’t going to be able to stand much longer. The bathroom was fortunatly empty, he made it into one of the cubicles before he started throwing up into the toilet. This was never part of his plan, he was hoping to have a quick piss, make his way back outside and hopefully find someone else worth taking home. As he opened the door to leave the cubicle he came face to face with big green beady eyes. 

“Are you okay Louis?” Harry asked in a low tone. Louis nodded his head, unable to form any kind of sentence yet. “Come on, I’ll sit you at a table yourself and get you a drink of water.” Harry said whilst trying to coax Louis out of the bathroom. 

“I don’t want to be alone.” Is the first thing Louis says to Harry since he entered the toilets. 

“I’ll stay with you, but I need to get you some water, I heard you being sick in there, the taste in your mouth must not be very nice.” Harry moved to open the door and lead them back out to the tables. 

Before thinking Louis blurted out “I bet the taste of your mouth is though.” Harry stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Louis. Louis relaxed as soon as he seen his facial expression, Harry had a big grin painted on his face and oh my goodness he has dimples. Louis almost passed out as soon as he seen the two massive craters in his cheeks. “You have dimples.” Louis said softly, in a tone complete opposite of his previous statement. 

Now it’s Harrys turn to stare, he observes Louis’ soft hair, his dark eyelashes and for the first time he admires the height difference between them both. “Yeah” is all Harry breathes out, hardly loud enough for Louis to hear. 

Before the situation could escalate any further Harry led Louis out of the bathroom and sat him in a table made for two people in a quieter corner of the pub. “I’ll be right back” Harry states, just before making his way to the bar. 

When he returns with a glass of ice water, Louis has passed out with his head on the table. “Louis” Harry whispers. No response. “Louis” Harry tries again. No response. As Harry places Louis’ glass of water down on the table he looks over to gain Liam or Niall’s attention. But, they’re gone. 

Harry scans the whole pub looking for anyone he knows that could help get Louis home, but he finds no one. All his eyes focus on is the broad shoulders of the man who he very cautiously watched grind against Louis at the bar earlier on. Which reminds him, Louis has passed out next to him. 

Harry then crouches down next to Louis’ chair. Their faces dangerously close together, so much so that Harry can actually hear little snores coming from Louis’ open mouth. 

“Louis” Harry tries again, this time giving his shoulder a nudge. Louis’ eyes flutter open, blood shot and glossed over. “Hi” Louis whispers, keeping his head on the table, face only inches away from Harry’s. 

Harry stands up, pretending not to hear Louis’ sigh as he does so. “I brought you some water, please drink it.” He hands Louis the glass that was previously sat on the table. As Louis reaches for the glass, their knuckles graze together and this is enough for Louis to look into Harry’s eyes. 

“Um…so like…basically uh” Harry stutters on his words, not entirely sure how to tell Louis his friends have left and he’ll have to make his own way home. 

“Whatsit” Louis slurs. 

“Basically like Liam and stuff have already left so I just wanted to know how you’re gonna get home?” Louis doesn’t reply, instead thumping his head on the wooden table beneath him. 

“Shit” is all that comes from him once he lifts his head back up. After a moment Louis looks back at Harry and tries to power through his drunk state to tell him Liam has gone to Zayn’s house and they are probably having birthday sex right now. Afterwards, Harry tries calling Niall which leads straight to voicemail. “You have keys though right, to get into your house? I just don’t know where you live so I can’t exactly take you back home.” That’s the thing, Liam rushed Louis out of the door so fast earlier on he even forgot to lift his mobile phone before he left, so no, he doesn’t have keys. 

Harry must be aware of the facial expression Louis uses because he mumbles a quiet “you don’t have keys” after a beat of silence. 

Louis apologises, for what he isn’t sure but he apologises anyway. 

“It’s okay, finish your water and I’ll call us a taxi, you can come back and sleep at my flat tonight, I really don’t mind.” I really don’t mind either is what Louis thinks but doesn’t have the energy to say out loud. 

After Louis finishes his glass of water which he has thanked Harry for approximately 78 times now, to which Harry replies “it was free” each time, they leave the pub and get in the first taxi that appears. Harry leans forward to give the driver his address and then returns back to the seat next to Louis. As Louis is leaning against the window he lets his hand fall onto the middle seat. Harry turns to look at him only to find Louis has fallen asleep again. Harry can’t help but wonder more about Louis after hearing more than he probably should have during his conversation with Liam earlier. He allows himself to think about how this must be so different from any other time Louis has travelled home in the back of a cab with a stranger. But before he can stop himself, he allows himself to wonder why he finds Harry so different. He shouldn’t have heard the things he said to Liam and he definitely shouldn’t be pretending that they didn’t effect him as much as they did. I mean he watched Louis flirt with another man at the bar and then chased after him the second he was alone. It’s definitely effecting him. 

But more than anything when Harry looks at Louis, he thinks about how this could be. He think about how this could be them travelling back from meeting their families for the first time, this could be them travelling home from the airport after their first holiday together, for god sake this could be them coming home after their wedding together, just them two in the back seat, although hopefully Louis would be awake in all these scenarios. Hopefully these scenarios even happen in the first place.

Harry thinks a lot on the journey home, but what he doesn’t think about is the moment he slips his hand across the middle seat and links his pinky with Louis’. Louis is still very much asleep but Harry can’t help want to touch him and just hold him. For now linking pinky’s will have to do.

As they pull up to Harry’s flat, Harry lets go of Louis’ pinky and reaches across to pay the driver. He opens his door and walks around to Louis’ side, opening his door and hoisting him out by the waist, lightly kicking the cab door closed. Harry is now stood in front of the door of his apartment with Louis in his arms bridal style. Getting him up three flights of stairs was extremely difficult but when Harry looks at Louis’s soft features he thinks it might just be worth it. 

Niall was in the process of moving house so he had plenty boxes stacked on Harry’s sofa, which eliminated that from Harry’s list of possibilities of where he is going to sleep tonight. Before he can even consider himself, he has to get Louis to bed. He carries him into his bedroom, placing him gently on his bed. Harry bends down to untie Louis’ shoes and slowly pull them off. As much as it doesn’t feel right doing so, he carefully removes Louis’ sweater and dress shirt and replaces it with one of his own plain black T-shirt’s, leaving Louis’ suit trousers on because it extremely doesn’t feel right to remove them without his permission. Harry shifts Louis to the far side of his bed, allowing himself a moment just to sit on the edge of it. After a while Harry goes to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. Whilst he would usually prefer to sleep naked, he’s aware Louis could wake up at any moment and see him so he chooses against it. When Harry returns from the bathroom Louis has made his way under the covers of Harry’s bed. Harry stops at the threshold of his bedroom door just to admire his innocence whilst he sleeps. Ok Harry it’s creepy now stop watching him sleep and do so yourself. So that Harry does. 

After pulling an extra blanket and pillow out of his cupboard, he’s settled on the floor for no longer than 45 minutes before he gets so uncomfortable he can’t get to sleep. He knows it’s a risk getting into bed with Louis, but he also knows he’s going to wake up with a broken back if he doesn’t. As he stands up, creaking the floor boards a little, Louis turns to face Harry and opens his eyes slowly. None of them speak a word, Louis lifts the corner of the duvet and pats the bed next to him. Harry freezes immediately, stuck in two minds what to do, but as Louis gives him a small innocent smile, he’s convinced getting in bed beside Louis Tomlinson may not be as bad as it seems. 

When Harry settles into the bed, his back to Louis, he still isn’t able to get to sleep any more than he was on the floor. He huffs a little, not enough to startle Louis and wake him back up but as he turns around he sees he’s already awake. They both lay facing each other, only inches apart and say nothing. Harry’s blinds aren’t closed so the street lights and moon light are illuminating the room in the softest glow, allowing them to make out the shape of each other’s face. They lie for some minutes looking into each other’s eyes, not moving and not speaking. Until Louis brings a hand up to rest on Harry’s bicep. After he gives it one gentle squeeze Harry smiles a small smile at him, unsure of Louis can make it out in the darkness. 

They lay like this until Harry is convinced Louis has fallen back asleep, as Harry turns to face his back to Louis, Louis shifts closer closing one arm around Harry’s waist and resting it on his stomach. Just hours after meeting they’re tangled up together in Harry’s one bedroom flat. And that is how they fall asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was shining through the window when Louis opened his eyes, it was bright and refreshing. At least it would have been if his head wasn’t pounding and his cock wasn’t hard as a rock. Only when Louis sat up did he realise he wasn’t actually in his own bed at his own home. He panics as he becomes more aware of his surroundings and the fact he woke up in a strangers bed and he’s alone. After rubbing his eyes a couple of times he looks down at himself and notices he isn’t even wearing his own T-shirt. “Fuck” is all he whispers to himself. As the memories of last night come flooding back, he remembers being in the toilet with Harry and that’s all. He promised himself and even promised Liam that Harry was different and he wasn’t going to do this, but he’s a massive disappointment and Harry is unfairly attractive so he isn’t even surprised he did.

He peels the covers back to check he has any bottoms on and is slightly more confused to find he’s still in his trousers from the previous night. His bulge is staring him in the face, making him wonder that if he did fuck Harry last night, why has he woke up with a hard on? He tries to ignore his aching cock as he picks up his shirt and sweater from last night, reluctantly taking Harry’s T-shirt off, wishing he could bathe in his scent for the rest of his life.

When Louis is fully dressed in his own clothes again he attempts to make an escape out the front door, but he can’t help but notice the house is overly quiet. There is no sound of any TV on in the living room, no music playing in the shower, not even any footsteps. Harry must still be asleep on the couch is the conclusion he comes to.

He puts his hand on the door handle ready to make his move when the door comes flying open and a body from the other side collides with his own.

“Shit I’m so sorry” Louis says louder than intended, whilst helping to pick up the bag that was dropped on the floor.

“Are you leaving already?” The other person says. Louis might’ve been drunk last night but he will remember that voice for the rest of his life. He looks up, making eye contact with Harry and is speechless. Wouldn’t Harry want him to leave straight away, after all they had sex last night after knowing each other for 5 hours, shouldn’t this be a little more awkward?

“Um yeah sorry I’m about to go home for a shower..I uh, thank you for um not kicking me out though.” Louis is usually a confident person, he isn’t sure why this is so difficult. Harry is different he tells himself.

“Oh” Harry sounds almost sad. “I just went to the shops to buy us some things I can cook for breakfast” he says low as if to tell Louis it’s okay for him to leave if he wants to.

Louis shouldn’t feel so endeared by Harry wanting to cook him breakfast, it makes it incredibly difficult for him to convince himself he really has to go home and shower.

Louis has been silent too long so he blurts out a quick “I have to shower” and makes his way out the door. He feels like a douche bag for doing it but his hard cock is screaming at him for release and he’s not going to be able to wait any longer if he spends more time with Harry.

“You can use my shower” Harry calls just as Louis is about to start his descent down the stairs.

Louis stops walking, he doesn’t turn to face Harry, worried if he does he will cum on the spot because god, even just his voice turns Louis on, he doesn’t want to chance looking him in the eyes. “I-“ his voice cracks as he begins his sentence. Very cool Louis. He coughs loudly and continues “I don’t have any clean clothes”. Good enough excuse, Harry can’t say anything back to that he’s sure.

“You can borrow mine, or I can go back out to your flat if you give me your address and I’ll pick some things up for you, surely Liam should be home by now.” Louis internally groans, Harry Styles is kind, too kind for Louis when he’s sporting a hard on which he is certain Harry already saw. Another reason he still hasn’t turned to face him. However Louis thinks back to wakening up in Harry’s T-shirt, he thinks about how it smelled and how he wished to spend more time in Harry’s clothes. He checks his watch, 11am. Harry’s right, Liam would be home now but the idea of spending more time with Harry seems really appealing. His needs can wait.

“Okay yeah, I’ll borrow yours, if that’s okay with you?” Louis eventually replies. Without hesitation Harry tells him it’s more than okay.

Louis makes his way back inside, heading straight to the bathroom. Harry shouts a quick “breakfast will be ready for you coming out” as he goes towards the kitchen. Louis makes sure he has a towel before he moves to turn the shower on, hot steam and the sound of water automatically filling the bathroom. He sits down on the closed toilet seat and as he bends forward to until his shoe laces, his cock feels the friction of Louis’ stomach against it through his clothes. Louis groans quietly as he kicks off his shoes and lifts himself off the toilet seat to pull his trousers and boxers down in one swift motion. He sits his naked lower half back down on the closed toilet seat and then he removes his shirt and sweatshirt, throwing them on the floor next to his trousers. He wraps his hand around his thick hard cock that is leaking more precum than ever before. He doesn’t have time to control himself before he tugs hard and fast, giving a quiet groan as he builds himself, he’s biting his lip so hard he’s sure it will bruise but right now he’s only focused on one thing. As he closes his eyes and feels his stomach tighten, a familiar wave of pleasure coming over him as he tugs at his cock another few times. “Ugh fuck Harry mhh” is what tumbles out his mouth as he explodes thick white cum all over his clothes on the floor. He automatically starts silent praying Harry never heard him getting off to the thought of him. .

As Louis showers and contemplates his whole life. Harry goes easily into the kitchen, and starts cooking up a full English breakfast for himself and Louis. He sets up the tiny table in his kitchen, only big enough for two people, hoping Louis doesn’t feel awkward as it does feel very much like a date. As Louis turns the shower off he towel dries himself and it’s only then he realises, he was so quick into the bathroom he didn’t allow Harry time to give him clothes to borrow, he sighs as he wraps the towel around his waist, knowing he can’t put his dirty clothes back on because well… they’re dirty.

He makes his way into Harry’s kitchen just as he’s putting both plates of breakfast on the small table. “Hey could I borrow some clothes please?” Louis feels shy, it’s been less than 24 hours and he’s already slept in Harry’s bed, wanked off in his bathroom to the thought of him and now he’s asking to wear his clothes as Harry cooks them a full breakfast. Oh and they’ve had sex. It all feels slightly more domestic than anything Louis is usually used to, but he doesn’t hate it.

“Yeah sure sorry I forgo-“ Harry stops talking as soon as he turns to face Louis. His eyes scan over Louis’ naked torso but focus on Louis’ bottom lip. He just stands staring for a while before he asks “Is uh, is your lip okay? It looks a little bruised or something.” If there’s ever been a moment Louis has wanted the ground to open up and swallow him, it’s now. He can’t exactly say ‘yeah I just came the hardest I have in months whilst moaning your name in the middle of your bathroom’ can he?

“My lip? Yeah my lip is fine, I don’t think anything’s wrong with it at least.” Harry just shrugs in response and continues setting the table. After a couple minutes Louis speaks up again. “So am I just going to stand around half naked in your kitchen all day or?” He knows he’s being sassy but it’s also half a joke, but before he can read Harry’s reaction Harry has already left and is halfway to his bedroom.

*

The conversation flows surprisingly easy over breakfast, Louis learns Harry has a sister, a mum and a step-dad. He learns that Harry once worked in a bakery, claiming he’s an ‘excellent baker’. He learns he’s studying law but enjoys music on the side. He can play the guitar and piano and writes songs in his spare time. Overall he learns that if he could hand craft his perfect partner, it would be Harry Styles. Harry continues the conversation smoothly all whilst Louis has thoughts of ‘you’ve known him less than 24 hours you can’t just be convinced he is the love of your life’ running through his head.

Louis needs to know exactly what happened last night, so he asks. “So, about last night…how did I, you know, end up in your bed?” He tries to act like wakening up in Harry’s bed was no big deal to him, but in reality, he could really get used to it.

“All your friends left, you were pretty messed up on alcohol, you didn’t have keys, we got a taxi back here and I carried you up the stairs.” Harry replies very matter of fact.

Louis almost chokes on his last bite of bacon. “I’m sorry you what? You carried me up the stairs?”

“Yeah I’m sorry if that makes you feel uncomfortable it’s just that you were already sleeping in the taxi and I didn’t want to wake you” Harry doesn’t mention the hand holding or the cuddling in bed. Not yet anyway.

“So did we uhh…” Louis trails off the end of his sentence, hoping Harry just understands.

“We slept together yes.” Nothing makes sense in Louis head, he was so hard wakening up this morning after fucking Harry only a couple hours before. And- “I still had my trousers on when I woke up, did you put them back on me or something?”

Harry’s face turns bright red. Louis senses he maybe said something he shouldn’t have, but he at least likes to know what happened when he wakes up in the person he fucked’s bed the next morning. Not that it happens very often. In fact, it’s never happened before. Louis always leaves or kicks them out before they have a chance to get into the sleepy orgasmic bliss phase. But after all Harry Styles is different.

“No Louis no god no… not like god no like sleeping with you would be a bad thing because it wouldn’t, not that I’m saying I want to sleep with you, I mean yeah it would be good but… UGH!”

“Woah Harry calm down please” Louis doesn’t know how to feel about the fact Harry is so obviously flustered at the idea of sleeping with Louis, it hadn’t been that bad surely?

“We didn’t sleep together like have sex, I put you to bed and then I tried to sleep on the floor. I wanted to be respectful to you but my back got too sore and then you offered me into the bed beside you, nothing happened I promise…” Harry stops talking so loud and whispers the next part “you cuddled me”.

So, Louis now feels really embarrassed, he was convinced him and Harry had sex because isn’t that what usually happens when Louis goes home with a pretty boy. But they didn’t, Louis cuddled him to sleep for fuck sake, Louis never cuddles. He should’ve known Harry wouldn’t do such a thing whilst Louis was in the state he was.

“Okay it all makes a little more sense now I suppose” Louis looks at Harry’s flushed face, for some reason Harry looks even more embarrassed than Louis. “Why were you gone when I woke up?”

“I didn’t want you to feel weird or something if you woke up and we were tangled in each other’s arms, I guess I just didn’t want you to regret anything” Harry was mumbling his words now, and talking extremely slow.

“I don’t think I would’ve regretted anything, I mean this is all pretty weird to me though” he gestures around at the set up table with their now empty plates. And at himself wearing Harry’s sweatpants and T-shirt.

Harry doesn’t respond to this, he looks down in his lap awkwardly and sits in silence.

“Hey, I didn’t say I don’t like it, it’s just not the kind of thing I usually do, I’m sure you must’ve heard at least something about my reputation whilst hanging out with Liam”

Harry decides now is as good a time as any to confess he overheard Louis’ conversation with Liam yesterday. He knows it’s too soon to be talking about any of it, but he feels like he’s keeping a secret from Louis. “I feel horrible that this happened but I’d feel even worse if I kept it from you, I overheard some of your conversation with Liam yesterday whilst you were sat at the table. The conversation about your last relationship and um..about me? I think it was about me though I’m going to be so much more embarrassed if it wasn’t.”

Harry knows. Harry knows what Louis is really like. He knows he doesn’t commit yet he’s still here trying to make an effort, he respected Louis’ space when he could’ve easily taken advantage but Harry knows he’s different. Harry knows he’s special to Louis in some way. “Yeah my last relationship was messy, she still calls me sometimes but I never answer, and yeah we were talking about you” Louis admits. There’s no point in trying to hide it when Harry heard it for himself.

“You don’t have to tell me about your last relationship but um d-do you think maybe you could tell me what you were saying about me?” Harry knows. But even although he knows, he can’t allow himself to get caught up in feeling like he might be the person to change Louis, after all he hasn’t even known him a whole day yet.

Louis thinks about the things he said to Liam, and Louis knows Harry heard him but he just can’t bring himself to say these things to Harry’s face. What if he’s wrong? What if Harry isn’t special and Louis lies to him? What if he tells Harry he has more connection with him than any of his ex’s or hook ups and Harry doesn’t feel the same?

“I’m sorry I need to go.” Louis stands up without noticing the change of expression on Harry’s face, he goes back to the bathroom where he left his shoes and dirty clothes and slips his shoes on with no socks. Dress shoes and sweatpants aren’t a great look, but Louis has bigger things to worry about for now. After he gathers his things he makes his way to the front door but Harry is already there waiting.

“I’m sorry I made you feel uncomfortable, I promise I didn’t mean to, I-I really shouldn’t have heard your conversation with Liam but I don’t want you to run away now and never speak to me again.” Harry’s broken voice conveys his feelings more than the look on his face. Not that Louis would know what he face looks like because he refuses to make eye contact.

“Thanks for the breakfast” is all Louis whispers before attempting to push past Harry and walk out the door.

Just as Louis is almost out of reach, Harry grabs his wrist, not allowing him to move any further. Louis spins fast on his feet and before Harry has a chance to say anything Louis lets out a quick “I’ll bring your clothes back to you another time.”

“That’s not what I want Louis, I want to give you this.” Harry slides a small piece of paper into Louis’ hand and is more than thankful Louis doesn’t look at it before Harry has made it back into his house and closed the door.

Louis is stood at the top of the stairs for the second time this morning, this time though, he’s leaving in Harry Styles’s clothes with his own cum stained clothes in one hand and a scrunched up piece of paper in the other. “What the fuck” Louis whispers as he unfolds the paper, slowly beginning to walk down the stairs.

When he reaches the bottom of the stairs he stops to read the note. At the top there’s a phone number, presumably Harry’s and underneath it reads.

_Louis_

_I enjoyed getting to know you more over breakfast, maybe we could do it again?_  
_If you want to then call me._

_I know this isn’t something you usually do, but maybe we can be different ;)_

_Harry x_

So Harry Styles wants Louis Tomlinson dead. He wants to kill him. He wants Louis’s heart to beat so fast he just drops down dead at the bottom of his stairs, and he’s going about it the correct way.


End file.
